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1 UPhawuli wawujolozela umphakathi weSanihedrini wathi, “Bazalwane, sengiwugcwalisile umlandu wami kuNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo eqotho kuze kube lamuhla.” 2 Umphristi omkhulu, u-Ananiya, kwamcunula lokhu, watshela labo ababemi eduze kukaPhawuli ukuthi bamukule umlomo. 3 UPhawuli wathi kuye, “UNkulunkulu uzakumukula, wena mduli oconjwe ngekalaga emhlophe! Lapha uhlalele ukungahlulela ngomthetho, ikanti wena ngokwakho uyaweqa umthetho ngokulaya ukuthi ngitshaywe!”
4 Labo ababemi eduze kukaPhawuli bathi, “Ulesibindi sokuthuka umphristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu wena?”
5 UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Bazalwane, bengingazi ukuthi ungumphristi omkhulu; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Ungakhulumi okubi ngombusi wabantu bakini.’*”
6 UPhawuli wayesazi ukuthi abanye babo babe ngamaSadusi, abanye bengabaFarisi, wasememeza phakathi kweSanihedrini wathi, “Bazalwane, mina ngingumFarisi, indodana yomFarisi. Ngithoniselwa ukuthi ngilethemba lokuvuka kwabafileyo.” 7 Wathi ngokutsho lokhu, kwavuka umsindo phakathi kwabaFarisi lamaSadusi, umphakathi wasudabukana phakathi. 8 (AmaSadusi athi kakulakuvuka ekufeni, lokuthi kakulazingilosi loba imimoya, kodwa abaFarisi bayakuvuma konke lokho ukuthi kukhona.)
9 Kwaba lokuxokozela okukhulu, kwathi abanye abafundisi bomthetho ababe ngabaFarisi basukuma bayidaza inkani. Bathi, “Kasiboni lutho olubi ngendoda le. Mhlawumbe umoya kumbe ingilosi ikhulume kuye ke?” 10 Yavutha inkani umlawuli webutho waze wesaba ukuthi uPhawuli sebengamdabudabula. Waselaya amabutho ukuthi ahle amsuse kubo ngamandla amlethe enkambeni yamabutho.
11 Ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yema eduze kukaPhawuli yathi, “Iba lesibindi! Njengoba usufakaze ngami eJerusalema, kusamele njalo uyofakaza eRoma.”
Icebo Lokubulala UPhawuli
12 Ngosuku olulandelayo amaJuda abumba icebo njalo enza isifungo sokuthi kawayikudla kumbe anathe engakambulali uPhawuli. 13 Kwakungamadoda edlula amatshumi amane ayehambisana lalelocebo. 14 Baya kubaphristi abakhulu labadala bathi, “Sesifunge ijoyi lokuthi kasiyikudla lutho size simbulale uPhawuli. 15 Ngakho-ke lina leSanihedrini khalazani kumlawuli webutho ukuthi amlethe kini ngenhloso yokuthi lifuna ubufakazi obugcweleyo ngecala lakhe. Thina sesilungisile ukuthi simbulale engakafiki lapha.”
16 Kodwa kwathi ukuba indodana kadadewabo kaPhawuli isilizwile lelicebo, yaya enkambeni yamabutho yayamtshela uPhawuli.
17 UPhawuli wasebiza omunye umphathi wekhulu wathi, “Hamba lejaha leli kumlawuli wamabutho; kukhona elifuna ukukutsho kuye.” 18 Ngakho wasemusa kumlawuli.
Umphathi wekhulu wathi, “Isibotshwa esinguPhawuli singibizile sangicela ukuthi ngilethe ijaha leli kuwe ngoba kukhona elifuna ukukutshela khona.”
19 Umlawuli wamthatha lowojaha, wambamba ngesandla waya laye eceleni, wambuza wathi, “Kuyini ofuna ukungitshela khona?”
20 Wathi: “AmaJuda asevumelene ukuthi akucele wena ukuthi ulethe uPhawuli phambi kweSanihedrini kusasa ngenhloso yokuthi afuna ingcazelo epheleleyo mayelana laye. 21 Ungabavumeli ngoba abeqa amatshumi amane bawo bazamcathamela. Asenze isifungo sokuthi angadli njalo anganathi engakabulali uPhawuli. Kunje nje sebelungile, sebelindele imvumo yakho ngesicelo sabo.”
22 Umlawuli wathi kahambe umfana, wamqonqosela wathi, “Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi usungazisile ngalokhu.”
UPhawuli Udluliselwa EKhesariya
23 Wasebiza abaphathi bebutho ababili wabalaya wathi, “Lungisani ixuku lamabutho angamakhulu amabili, abagadi bamabhiza abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa labangamakhulu amabili abahlome ngemikhonto ukuthi baye eKhesariya lamuhla ebusuku ngehola lesithathu. 24 Lilungisele loPhawuli amabhiza ukuze asiwe kuMbusi uFelikhe evikelekile.”
25 Wabhala incwadi kanje:
26 Klawudiyasi Lisiya,
Kumhlekazi, uMbusi uFelikhe:
Ngiyabingelela.
27 Indoda le yabanjwa ngamaJuda, okwathi esezama ukuyibulala ngafika lamabutho ami sayilamulela ngoba ngasengizwile ukuthi ingumRoma. 28 Ngadinga ukwazi ukuthi ayesithi yoneni, yikho ngayiletha phambi kweSanihedrini yawo. 29 Ngezwa ukuthi icala layo laliphathelene lomlayo wawo, kodwa kwasweleka icala elingafanela ukufa loba ukugwetshelwa entolongweni. 30 Ngithe sengilunywe indlebe ngecebo lokuyibulala ngahle ngayedlulisela kuwe. Ngiphinde ngatshela omayimangalela ukuthi bazokwethula kuwe abamangalela ngakho.
31 Ngakho amabutho azilandela lezo ziqondiso amthatha uPhawuli ebusuku ayamfikisa e-Antiphatri. 32 Ngosuku olulandelayo amabutho amtshiya leqembu labagade amabhiza ukuthi liqhubeke laye, bona babuyela enkambeni. 33 Kwathi abamabhiza sebefikile eKhesariya bayethula incwadi kumbusi loPhawuli laye bamnikela kuye. 34 Umbusi wayibala incwadi wambuza ukuthi wayedabuka kusiphi isifunda. Esezwile ukuthi wayengoweSilisiya, 35 Wathi, “Icala lakho ngizalihlola nxa labo abakumangalelayo sebefikile lapha.” Waselaya ukuthi uPhawuli agcinwe elindiwe esigodlweni sikaHerodi.
* 23:5 U-Eksodasi 22.28